Fresh Updates from RAC

Welcome to the Jewish month of Shevat and (if you’re on the East Coast) to Storm Juno. While you’re inside waiting out the snow, take this time as an opportunity to take the Green Sh’vat Challenge and make your life a little greener. Unfortunately, massive snowstorms don’t counteract the fact that climate change is real, human-caused and happening quickly. The Green Shevat Challenge is one small, easy way to reduce our carbon footprint by making small changes to our daily routines. Read more…

Tu BiSh’vat, also known as Chamishah Asar BiSh’vat (the fifteenth day of the month of Shevat) is commonly known as the New Year for trees and falls this year on February 3. Historically, it was the date on which trees in Israel were determined to be mature enough for their fruit to be harvested. Tu BiSh’vat was the date designated because by then, the early winter rains had largely subsided and the period of “budding” was just commencing, making the holiday a celebration of renewal.

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Doing the right thing paid off at the bottom line. How often can you say that about doing a mitzvah? My experience with solar power at the Cape Cod Synagogue has been just that: our investment in renewable energy has been a positive for the environment, an expression of our Jewish values, and a net budgetary savings. Read more…

On Tuesday night, the Sergeant-at-Arms for the House of Representatives will stand on the floor of the House chamber and announce to the assembled Members of Congress, Supreme Court Justices, Cabinet members, an array of guests in the gallery (including the First Lady and Dr. Biden) and millions of the American people watching live, “Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States!” This now-iconic declaration opens the State of the Union ceremony, as the President ascends the dais, hands copies of his speech to the Vice President and the Speaker of the House, and begins his address. Read more…

The 114^th Congress has been in session for just a little over a week now and already we have seen that rollbacks on environmental protections are looking like a priority for many members over the course of the next two years. Here are a couple things to watch out for in the coming weeks and over the course of the 114^th Congress: Read more…

January 6 marked the Epiphany for Christians around the world. But, epiphanies in my view happen to us all, and often at unplanned moments in our lives. Mine happened on a late August afternoon, days after Hurricane Katrina hit my hometown of New Orleans in 2005.

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By Fletcher Harper and Paul Kaufman

OurVoices and #LightForLIMA

OurVoices has emerged as the leading international, multi-faith campaign supporting a strong climate agreement. We were busy during the UN climate meetings in Lima!

In fifteen countries on four continents, and in countries vital to the negotiations, OurVoices organized vigils in support of strong agreement.  #LightForLIMA vigils took place adjacent to iconic locations (the White House, the Sydney Opera House, Jerusalem’s Jaffa Gate). They attracted international media coverage. They performed powerfully on social media, with the vigil’s hashtag attracting almost the same number of shares as the hashtag for the entire UN conference during the week of the vigils.

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The (secular) New Year brings new opportunities and new challenges in the world of Jewish social justice. The 114^th Congress will convene on January 3, 2015 at noon. As we look towards what 2015 will bring, let’s take a moment to look back at 2014 through 14 RACBlog highlights.

This list is a mix of our most popular blogs or the blogs that represent landmark moments in our programming or observances. Don’t see your favorite blog here? Let us know in the comments! Read more…